Only Crystal Palace and Cardiff have mustered fewer than City’s 20 Premier League goals this season but Olsson is adamant players with the pedigree of Swedish international team mate Johan Elmander and club-record signing Ricky van Wolfswinkel are big enough characters to respond.

“Ricky is taking it in his stride. He comes into training every day with a smile on his face and he is laughing. He still has plenty of confidence and he is a good striker,” said Olsson. “They are still trying to get into those good positions and demanding the ball and we all know here that he is a good striker.

“It is hard to put your finger on it. I really feel at times we have been unlucky and you just hope the goals will come and hopefully soon.

“I see what they do in training. It is not just down to the strikers, you have to blame all of us.

“They of course are expected to score most of the goals but the midfielders and the defenders need to chip in. I know they are frustrated. I speak to Johan, as I know him better and he is frustrated.

“They are working every day after training on their finishing. Of course as a striker if you don’t score it will affect the confidence but the one thing you know is it can turn just as quickly if you get a goal.”

Olsson played his part in last weekend’s stirring 1-0 top flight win over Tottenham and the Swede believes City reaped the benefits from an 11-day break to prepare for the final push.

“Sometimes it is good to get a break. I think mentally as much as physically a break can help. It has given us a chance to refresh and come back stronger,” he said.

Interesting that RvW`s compatriot, R. van Persie, is on record as being unhappy that other ManU players are occupying `his` spaces, and that he hardly got a pass in the game vs Olympiakos. Apparently, the biggest supplier of passes to Sir Persie was de Gea, the goalie! I watched that game and I couldn`t help thinking that ManU were playing like us on an average day: Slow, sideways and backwards, tentative and negative. It`s a pity we can`t play them right now while our Spurs adrenalin is still pumping around. Also a shame that Li`l Benno`s not back yet, Lobbo ;-)

Never mind wheeling all these players out saying "we are not lacking confidence" and" there is no crisis", how about finding the player who is saying "we're absolutely cra ping ourselves" and "we're probably going down"!

'Swiss', Fer received a lovely cutback in the Spurs game and 'flu ffed' it! On second thoughts you're right when you said "we're missing so many cutbacks", Fer is obviously not used to them and didn't know what to do.

….seems we were both watching the same match last night Brew....That manager has done to Untd the same as Hughton has done to us!....but of course managers are always right!....Sharky will no doubt have seen it in a different light, but then he sits on a' plush seat '…..

on't think R vW and confidence sit well in the same sentence because he clearly demonstrates a lack of it on the pitch. That one on one on Sunday was a clear indication of his lack of the above. He reminds me of Torres during his first season at Chelsea. Couldn't kick a ball straight. But that didn't mean he wasn't a good striker. Just a good one lacking confidence and in his case that stemmed in part from his drop in pace after his injury. I still think RvW has the ability. Problem is, he needs to show it in Norwich colours.

I am certain that our strikers suffer from the club not having a reserve league to play in. RVW and Elmander would undoubtably have found form had they been able to get regular game time, ditto for Becchio. We probably need to play two up front to get the best from these guys but then our midfield fails to provide the quality passes required.

It's better they come out positive whatever! Spurs game showed good all round commitment as did West Ham where we totally outplayed them until Ruddy's semi-bloomer ( these things happen he was virtually redundant that day, with the West Ham supporters chanting "we are the home team"! ). In my opinion the performances over the last few games have been much improved and we should have had more points. I tend to agree with Fer, RvW will come good. I think CH will keep us up and change may happen in the summer, loan signings Gutierrez and Yobo are shrewd and can only benefit the younger players. For Villa game start with the same eleven, RvW is more effective ( not goal wise!! ) at the start and Hooper looks dangerous when he comes on. As a postscript, Danny Mills summary was wrong but he is entitled to his opinion, that's what makes football a great game, the apres-football!! OTBC

....Sorry Brew for upsetting you regarding the Missing Tea Bag Lady, I do hope she has not been neglecting Chrissy, or turning her attentions to pastures new, as I hinted months ago, prior to her either changing sides or names, or searching for the new nesting ground....And that Dutch food has about as much taste as an empty beer glass!....

Wasn't EB's injury scheduled to take until March to heal? He may be in contention for the last few games I guess. I also believe that RvW will come good. I agree with the comment on another thread that it took Didier Drogba a while to get going. It seems to be that we are missing so many cutbacks in the area, the ball drifting just behind or beyond the player in space. For whatever raeson it seems that the wingers\MF and the strikers are on a slightly different wavelength. It is like a guitar with a permanently out of tune 1st string, annoying.

B Inners, they should appoint Bradders as RvW`s Lifestyle Mentor. That said, I hope BJ doesn`t resort to mittens on occasion! Maybe they play in greenhouses in `Holland`? Seems the half of the country that`s not under water is under glass. Spliffing nice place, though.